Crystal Winter Trilogy: Book 2 Secrets of the Past
by Perfect Anomaly
Summary: REUPLOAD Winterthaw and Crystalsong are now true warriors of Thunderclan.However,not all is well.Crystalsong harbours a deadly secret that could rip the clans apart.A tortoiseshell she-cat and a black tom with a russet paw stalk through Winterthaw's dreams.As the clans face a deadly Greenleaf,the sisters must band together to uncover the secrets of the past... full summary inside


**A/N: HELLO! This is Wynter, aka xXEat Me Drink MeXx, the former Winterthaw of Thunderclan. Some asshats got my story deleted, but I am back, and well educated in the form of Swedish swear words.**

**The cover has been drawn by my wonderful friend Silver, who you can find on deviantART as 'silvercandraw'. Go watch her!**

**Summary: Thunderclan is facing an abundant Greenleaf, but not all is what it seems. A relentless killer is still on the loose-and Crystalsong and Winterthaw have to persuade the clans that the Shadowclan deputy is not what he seems. Yet that is not all of their problems. Crystalsong is hiding a deadly secret that could tear the clans apart. Winterthaw is haunted by dreams where a black tom with a single russet foot and a tortoiseshell she cat stalk through the forest.**

**As the clans are faced with the hottest Greenleaf they had ever seen, Winterthaw and Crystalsong must band together to uncover the secrets of the past…**

**Chapter 1-Darkened Hearts**

Leaves rustled, and trees whispered. Dark clouds overhead raced across the black and purple sky, and thundered rumbled. Winterthaw looked up as the first fat drops of rain struck her back, moulding her white tortoiseshell fur to her slender body. The storm that had threatened to break all day had finally come. She pelted for cover, coming to a stop under some trees. All of her senses tingled. This was no ordinary storm.

The outburst that had come so suddenly stopped just as brusquely.

Winterthaw unsheathed her claws, fur bristling. Something had moved out there, something dark and dangerous looking. Relief enveloped her when her sister Crystalsong emerged. "Crystalsong!" she cried. "What happened?" The beautiful cream and tabby pelt of the cat facing her was covered in mud and who-knows-what. Winterthaw wrinkled her nose as the foul stench of fox-dung wafted over. "Ugh! What did you do?"

"Nothing," she replied, turning her back to Winterthaw. Crystalsong trotted off to the stream, and gasped when the icy water reached up to her belly. She then rolled in it, coming out clean again. Winterthaw frowned, and sniffed her sister again. "Crystalsong…" She trailed off. There had been a strange scent, underlying the usual wildflower smell of her. The scent of milk. Now that she looked at Crystalsong closely, she realised that she was large, larger than normal. Others might think it was normal for Greenleaf, but Winterthaw was not fooled.

Crystalsong was pregnant.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Echostar stood on top of the Highrock, and below her were three kits. One was a white and blue she cat, the second was a brown tabby tom, and the third a gray tabby tom. Mousetail stood proudly behind them, and Jetheart was there too, the wind ruffling his pelt. Winterthaw, poking her head through the bush that served as her den, realised that Echostar must be holding the apprentice naming ceremony. Hastily she gave herself a quick wash and prodded awake her sister.

"From this day on, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Larchpaw. Crystalsong, I trained you, and I hope you can pass on all your skills to this young apprentice." Crystalsong walked up and touched noses with the white and gray apprentice. Winterthaw was watching them intently, wondering if Crystalsong would be put off by the fact that she was pregnant. It had been a day since she had discovered it, and she wondered if anyone else in the clan had noticed.

So engrossed in watching her sister, Winterthaw was startled to hear Echostar call her name. Some cats sniggered when she jumped. "Winterthaw, Skydapple was an excellent mentor to you. I hope you can teach all the techniques of hunting and fighting to Stormpaw." The newly made apprentice touched noses with her. "And Oakpaw," she said turning towards the brown tabby tom. Echostar flicked her tail towards Leafears.

"Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown a wish to help heal cats. Your next medicine cat will be Oakpaw."

Echostar murmured, "Oakpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Leafears?"

He replied, "I do."

Leafears proclaimed, "Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats."

Echostar finished somberly, "The good wishes of all Thunderclan will go with you."

"Larchpaw! Stormpaw! Oakpaw! Larchpaw! Stormpaw! Oakpaw!" the clan cheered.

Winterthaw looked down at the small fluffy bundle of fur. "What are we going to do today? Can you show me how to claw those Riverclan fatties? Will we practice stalking mice? Will we-" Stormpaw was cut off by an amused Mousetail. She smiled. "Behave yourself, darling. Don't scare off your mentor." She walked off, purring. Stormpaw drooped. He sighed, and looked up.

Crystalsong trotted over with Larchpaw in tow. "Winterthaw, Skydapple wants us two to patrol the Riverclan border with Silentfoot and Jetheart. After the patrol, would you want to meet at the training hollow with our apprentices to train?"

"Sure!" she replied enthusiastically. "Come on, Stormpaw!" Winterthaw beckoned to her apprentice with her tail, and walked over to Skydapple. Her former mentor smiled, and meowed, "Go on a Shadowclan border patrol with Flameclaw and Streampaw. Then train or hunt after the patrol." Winterthaw bounded away with Stormpaw and met up with the others at the tunnel.

When they finally reached the Shadowclan border, it was nearly midday. The sun blazed in the sky, beating down. The cats stopped for a drink at a small pond that was near the border. When they looked up, a few cats were staring at them. It was Thornstripe, his apprentice Violetpaw, and the Shadowclan deputy Tornclaw.

Dread washed over her. Anxiety rested heavily in her stomach, feeling like that bad mouse she once ate. She stared in horror at Tornclaw, the cat she suspected behind the mysterious killings. He stared back coolly, looking like a cat enjoying a cheerful, happy day. But under that mask of bland normalness, lay a cold expression of glee and smugness. He mewed kindly, "Greetings, Flameclaw, Streampaw, _Winterthaw_… and this is…?" He scanned her apprentice, and glared at her with barely masked contempt. He smiled, showing sharp teeth.

"This is my apprentice, Stormpaw." Winterthaw replied frostily, giving him a wolfish grin in return. His icy blue eyes met hers, and something in her gaze must have told him that she knew. He flinched away, and for a moment Winterthaw thought she saw a flash of fear there. Then Tornclaw flicked his tail and led his patrol away. She smiled, and stretched. "Smell that scent, Stormpaw? That's Shadowclan." Stormpaw sniffed the air and nodded.

When Flameclaw began to walk in the direction back at camp, Stormpaw stopped. "Hang on," he meowed. "What's that smell?" The rest of the patrol halted, and began to snuffle the ground as well. Winterthaw realised her apprentice was right. There was a strange, decaying scent underneath the normal smell of prey and the forest. They all followed the trail before finding the source: A bush.

Flameclaw stuck his head in, and recoiled. "You have to see this," he choked. His eyes were filled with horror. Winterthaw cautiously poked her head in with the others, and gasped. In front of her was a familiar black she cat with ginger feet, blood pooling around it, her throat slashed.

It was Hollyfoot.

**A/N: So how was it? Good or bad? Review and tell me!**

**Until we next meet, May Starclan light your path.**

**~xXEat Me Drink MeXx**


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